Elevator.



H. H. JOHNSTON.

ELBVATOB..

APPLICATION HLBD Nov. 29, 1907.

1,022,681 Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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APPLICATION FILED Nov. 29, 1907.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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HENRY H. JOHNSTON, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO MINNESOTAMANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

ELEVATOR.

Application led November 29, 1907.

To all who/m, t may concern Be it known that I, HENRY I-I. JOHNSTON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in straight lift elevators of thekind used in warehouses for hoisting and lowering boxes or articles ofmerchandise from one floor to another without reversing the motion ofthe elevator, and which are capable of loading and unloading themselveswhile in motion, its object being primarily to provide improved meansfor steadying the elevator platform when it registers with the loadingor unloading floor or platform, and for preventing it from being tiltedout of horizontal position under the weight of the articles ofmerchandise.

The mechanism is particularly, although not exclusively, adapted for usein connection with gravity conveyors, the discharge ends of whichdeposit the articles of inerchandise directly upon the carrier, and thereceiving ends of which project into the path of t-he carrier so as toreceive articles of merchandise therefrom and carry them to anotherlevel.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specication, Figure 1is a side view of my invention; Fig. 2 is a front view; Fig. 3 is asectional det-ail plan view; Fig. t is a detail side view showing theloaders and unloaders in superior position, and Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of one of the shoes or guides.

In the drawings A represents a suitable frame preferably made of angleiron and provided with four vertical posts 2 and transverse bars 3 whichare suitably fastened to said posts such as by rivets 4. Traveling inthe direction of the arrows indicated in Fig. 1 are a pair of elevatinglink belts B which travel around pairs of idle sprockets 5 near thelower end of the frame and pairs of sprockets 6 at the upper end of saidframe. These sprockets are mounted upon Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Serial No. 404,243.

gudgeons 7, 8, 9, and 10 which in turn are suitably journaled upon theframe. The gudgeons 10 carry drive gears 11 which mesh with pinions 12.These pinions are carried by a shaft 13 which is journaled upon saidframe and adapted to be driven by a pulley 14 or other suitable means.

By the mechanism described the link belts are driven continuously at thesame surface speed around the sprockets in the vertical frame. The crossbars upon which the lower and upper gudgeons are journaled areadjustably supported upon brackets 15 which are secured to t-he sides ofthe frame by bolts 16 passing through vertical slots 17 in saidbrackets. By loosening the nuts on the bolts 16 the cross bars may bemoved up or down and thus made to take up and adjust the slack in thelink belts B.

At suitable distances apart on the belts are elevating carriers C, eachofwhich consists of a pair of hangers 18, each pair being suspended fromthe belts and being formed upon their lower ends with a horizontal bar19 which traverses the space between the belts. The bar 19 of eachcarrier has suitably secured thereto a plurality of horizontal supports2O forming the Hoor of the carrier. The inner and outer ends of thesesupports are formed with shoulders 21 to prevent boxes or other articlesof merchandise sliding off of the carriers.

Carried by the frame and at suitable positions to conduct the articlesof merchandise to and from the carriers are a loader D and an unloader Ewhichare substantially similar in construction, the loader being locatedat a lower elevation than the unloader E and adapted to be placed injuxtaposition to gravity or power conveyers F leading to and from theelevator at suitable elevations, such as upon the different ioors of abuilding. For convenience in explaining these devices the loader willbev described, the reference letters and description applying equally tothe unloader.

Carried by the frame. ata slightincline leading in the direction inwhich the articles of merchandise are advancing on the gravity conveyerwith which this invention is adapted to coperate are a pair of inclinedbars 22 which are secured to the frame by means of the bolts 23. On thereceiving ends and between the ends of the pair of bars are hingedsuitable shafts 24 and 25, each of which carries a short section ofgravity conveyer 26. rIhe inner ends of these sections are spaced apartwhen in lowered position and turn down from superior position and form asubstantially continuous floor upon which articles of merchandise areadapted to run. The inclination of the floor of the loader is down intothe path of the ascending carrier, and of the unloader, down and out ofthe path of the descending carrier. Each section of the floor of Jtheloading and unloading devices consists of a pair of parallel rails 27and 28 on the sides of each of which is journaled a train ofanti-friction wheels or rollers 29. The inner section of the floor ofthe loaderis provided with a pair of stops 30, against which articles ofmerchandise are adapted to abut when entering the elevator in properalinement to be lifted by the carriers. Such stops are not used inconnection with the unloader. In Fig. 1 the hinged portions of thefloors of the loader and unloader are in lowered position and adapted toload and unload articles of merchandise on and off of the elevator. Theends of the shafts 24: and 25are provided with bell crank levers 31having short arms 32 which are adapted to impinge upon lugs 33 andsupport the sections of the floor of the carrier in alinementwhen inlowered position. A draw spring 34 between each of the arms 32 and theframe tends to draw the outer section of each floor down into loweredposition. Cables 35 attached to the long arms of the bell crank levers31 are used for elevating and lowering the sections of the floor of thecarrier from a distance. When in superior position (see Fig. t) thesections of the floor permit the carriers to pass them withoutcoperating with the carriers, such means being adapted for use inbuildings where several conveyers at different elevations coperate withthe elevator.

In order to steady the elevator carriers when they arrive at the loadingor unloading stations, and to prevent the floor of the carriers frombeing tilted out of horizontal or operative position under the weight ofthe load thereon, rigid shoes or guides 36 are secured to the side bars22 of the elevator frame at each loading and unloading station andprojected inwardly in posit-ion to be engaged and swept by the hangers18. Thus the shoes will hold the hangers from swinging laterally ontheir pivotal support in the-belts, and will keep the floors of thecarriers substantially horizontal while the carrier is opposite theloading or unloading platform.

In use the belts are driven continuously and the articles of merchandisepass along the conveyer onto the loaders. The horizontal arms 19 of thecarriers passV the sections of the floor of the loader, while thetransverse supports 2O pass between the adjacent ends of the sections,whereby the articles of merchandise are first lifted from the loader andthen deposited upon the unloader E, whence they pass down by gravityalong the gravity conveyer.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with an upright frame, ofa pair of elevating belts operating vertically in said frame, a pair ofhangers pivotally suspended from said belts, a carrier floor fast uponthe lower ends of the hangers, gravity conveyers on each side of saidbelts and intercepting the path of said carrier floor, and rigid shoesprojecting inwardly from the sides of the elevator frame at intervalsnear the ends of the gravity conveyers in position to be engaged andswept by said carrier-hangers, whereby to steady the carrier floor andhold it from tilting when it coincides with a gravity conveyer.

2. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with a suitable framehaving upright posts, elevating belts operating vertically between saidposts, cars suspended between said belts, rigid guides at intervals oneach side of said frame adapted to steady the lower portions of saidcars, a platform having substantially horizontal bars spaced apart oneach car, a loader and an unloader in the path of said cars, and meansfor driving said belts.

3. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with an upright frame, ofrigid shoes arranged at vertical intervals on the sides of the frame,elevating belts operating vertically in said frame, and carriers pivotedat intervals on said belts and having horizontal floors, said carriersbeing adapted to pick up packages on one side of said belts and deliverthem on the other side thereof, and said shoes being stationed at eachlanding to assist in supporting said carriers with their floors inhorizontal position.

4. In an elevating' apparatus, the combination with an upright frame, ofan elevating belt working vertically in said frame, an elevator carrierhung from said belt, a gravity conveyer arranged on each side of thebelt and intercepting the path of said elevator carrier, and rigid shoesarranged at intervals on the sides of the frame in position to guide andsteady the elevator carrier when said carrier coincides with the gravityconveyers.

5. In an elevating apparatus, the combination with an upright frame, ofan elevating belt operating vertically in said frame, a carrier hungfrom said belt having a horizontal floor, rigid shoes associated Withsaid In testimony whereof, I have signed my carrier and located atintervals on said name to this specification, in the presence of frame,a loader hinged in the path of said tWo subscribing Witnesses.

elevating carrier and having a stop at its HENRY H. JOHNSTON. inner end,and an unloader hinged in the Witnesses:

path of said carrier on the lower side of JOHN O. MEYER,

said belt. ELLEN B. HOLMGREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

